A Saxonburg fall tradition that has been dormant for a number of years will return this November, with the Truthahntrab 5K on the morning of Nov. 26.

The three masterminds behind the “new” 5K race are Mike Formica, a former University of Pittsburgh track-and-field runner; Cory Kamer, owner of Believe N-U Fitness in Saxonburg; and Jack Hutterer of the Hutterer, Stahl & Kadyk real estate agency.

For nearly 40 years, the Saxonburg 5K race was an annual tradition that was tied to the now-defunct Saxonburg Festival of the Arts. At one point, it was part of the “Saxonburg Distance Series,” which included two other 5K races and benefited the cross-country and track-and-field teams from nearby Knoch School District.

In its later years, the 5K was overseen by Ed Doyle, a popular figure in the local running community responsible for organizing numerous 5K events in Western Pennsylvania. The last recorded Saxonburg arts festival 5K took place in 2018.

In December 2020, Doyle died at age 67, and no one took on the responsibility of continuing the event until Hutterer approached the Saxonburg borough council earlier this year.

Bringing the 5K back to Saxonburg was a personal issue for Hutterer, as he himself took part in the race once upon a time.

“When I was younger, I ran in that race,” Hutterer said. “It was a big part of the community, and it was a nice event.”

When he started talking to the borough, he found that two others had independently come to the same conclusion — that the 5K needed to come back. Those two were, of course, Kamer and Formica. The three began working together and pooling their ideas.

“There’s actually three of us who independently were interested in putting together a race, but nobody really did it,” Hutterer said. “And then the three of us all got together and made it happen.”

According to Hutterer, the name “Truthahntrab” means “turkey trot” in German, in keeping with Saxonburg’s German heritage.

“I think somebody Googled the German for ‘turkey trot’ and that's what came up,” Hutterer said.

The race will start at 9 a.m. Nov. 26. The new run will follow the same route as the old arts festival 5K — starting on Water Street and going through Saxony Farms, before reentering town and finishing at Roebling Park.

The Saxony Farms property is currently owned by Concordia Lutheran Ministries, which, according to Hutterer, allowed the 5K organizers to use it for the race.

“It's a beautiful, beautiful course,” Hutterer said. “There's a lake that most people don't even know exists that the run will go by.”

Just as with the old arts festival 5K, all proceeds from the race will benefit Knoch’s cross-country and track-and-field programs. This year’s race will be part of a very busy weekend for Saxonburg, as it takes place the day after the borough’s annual Saxonburg Holiday Parade.

The date of the 5K also coincides with Small Business Saturday, which could provide a boost to the businesses on Saxonburg’s Main Street.

“We're independent of each other, but they both happen to be the same day,” said Hutterer.

It will cost $25 to sign up for the 5K. All runners who sign up by Nov. 5 are guaranteed to receive a commemorative T-shirt.